Railway-crossing.



No. 802,864. PATENTED 001?. 24, 1905. J. s. JENGKES, JR,

RAILWAY CROSSING.

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Flo. 802,864.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed October 31, 1904;. Serial No. 230.851.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. JENoKns, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railway-Crossings; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,

' which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroad-crossings, and has for its object to provide a 'device of this class which will form a continuouscrloss ing at the intersection of tracks whereby the usual jolting and jarring are entirely obviated and the consequent injury to the tracks and wheels of the rolling-stock is eliminated.

With this object in view my invention consists in the novel means of operating and locking the movable blocks used in my crossing; and my invention has forv its object particularl y to improve the railway-crossing patented to me on July 3, 1900, No. 653,006.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan showing two tracks inter secting, and illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan showing one of the movable blocks and the plate carrying the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 1 is a plan showing one of the movable blocks and the plate carrying the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the block and plate shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is avertical transverse sectional view through one of the blocks and plate, illustrating a modified construction for connecting the locking-rod to the block. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of oneof the additional running-rails adjacent the usual runningrails. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section taken through line 8 8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section taken through line 9 9 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures, in which 1 and 2 indicate the rails of the intersecting tracks, and 3 indicates the inner guard-rails, forming a parallelogram, as shown in Fig. 1, and 4 indicates the usual guard-rails commonly employed at a crossing.

5 indicates an additional or auxiliary running-rail which is placed adjacent the usual running-rail on the outside of the parallelogram, said running-rails 5 being placed in close proximity to the usual running rails or tracks 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 8, the purpose of said running-rails being to protect the sliding blocks from injury caused by the false flange of the wheels of rolling-stock which have been in use for a considerable time, and, as shown in Fig. 7, the said auxiliary running-rails 5 are sloped or inclined at their ends, so that the said false flange on the wheels strikes the said auxiliary running-rail 5 gradually and protects the sliding blocks from a sudden jar which would tend to injure the entire construction.

A series of filler-blocks 6 are arranged bev tween the usual running rails or tracks and the guard-rails, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, said filler-blocks 6 being riveted to the plates 21 to hold the rails in position thereon, the usual running-rails, the auxiliary runningrail 5, and the guard-rails t being bolted through the said filler-blocks 6 by bolts 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8.

8 indicates the ties, and, as shown in Fig.

1, a lever 9 is fulcrumed at 10 to one of the ties in the center of the parallelogram formed by the inner guard-rails 3, and 11 and 12 indicate connecting-links secured to the said lever 9 and also to the main operating-rods 13 and 1&. Connected to the main operating rods 13 and let are the block-operating rods 15, 16, 17, and 18, said block-operating rods being capable of adjustment by means of threaded ends passing into taps 19, as shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, the block-operating rods are provided with a joint 20. The portion of the rod which passes into the sliding blocks is rigidly connected thereto. Consequently the lateral movement of the blockoperating rods in order to operate the blocks must be provided for by a joint which allows for a lateral swing. As shown in Fig. 6, however, the block-operating rods may be pivoted within the sliding block, so that this extra connection 20 in the block-operating rods may be dispensed with.

'21 indicates the plates, upon which are carried the sliding blocks 22 and 23, said blocks 22 being identical in shape and the blocks 23 being also identical, the shape and form of said blocks depending altogether upon the angle of intersection of the two tracks, as of course is obvious.

The sliding blocks 22 and 23 are, as shown in Fig. 4:, provided with a dovetailed groove 24: in their bases, which groove is designed to accommodate a dovetailed tongue 25, formed on the plate 21. It will be noted, however, by referring to the drawings that the plate 21 is provided with a raised portion 26, upon which the said sliding blocks operate, and the advantages of this construction are as follows:

Referring to Fig. 9, which illustrates one of the sliding blocks and one of the guardrails 4, said sliding block being shown in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in another position, it frequently happens that stone, gravel, coal, and particularly cinders fall upon the crossing, and the particles are apt to drop between the sliding blocks and the guard-rails. Consequently if the base of the sliding blocks were as low as the base of the guard-rails any foreign matter falling between the guard-rails and the sliding blocks would prevent the movement of the sliding blocks, and the foreign substances would have to be removed by hand before the crossing could be operated, thus causing a delay to traffic. However, in my construction any foreign substances dropping between the guard-rails and the sliding blocks would fall upon the raised portion of the plate 21, as shown in full lines in Fig. 9, and when the sliding block was removed said foreign substances would be pushed into the pocket formed between the web of the rail and the raised portion of the plate 21, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9.

Threaded into the locking-blocks is the locking-rod 27, and, as shown in Fig. 1, said locking-rod is provided with a connection 28, the end of said locking-rod being pivoted to the slidable rod 29, which rod is provided with perforations 30, into which a pin 31 passes. Said slidable rod 29 operates within a housing 32, said housing being also perforated, so that the pin 31 passes entirely through the said housing 32 and through the perforations 30 in the slidable rod 29. The pin 31 is connected to a lever 33, which lever is also connected to the pin-operating rod 3 1, and it will be noted that each pair of the sliding blocks are locked by the one pin 31.

Having thus set forth the several parts of my invention, its operation is as follows: As shown in Fig. 1, the rails forming the track 2 are continuousthat is to say, the movable blocks are in position to allow a train to pass the crossing on the track 2. The locking-pins 31 are also illustrated in engagement with the slidable rods 29, locking the crossing in this position. In order to operate the crossing to make track 1 continuous, a lever in the interlocking plant is operated to withdraw the locking-pin 31 from the slidable rods 29, and a similar lever is operated to draw the operating-rods 13 and 14 away from the crossing. This movement of the said operating-rods draws the connecting-links 15, 16, 17, and 18 and moves the blocks 22 and 23 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus making the track 1 continuous. The lever controlling the locking arrangement is again operated, which causes the locking-pin 31 to again enter the slidable rods 29, thus locking the crossing in this position. However, as is obvious, the movement of the blocks 22 and 23 must be in a straight line, while of course the movement of the links 15, 16, 17, and 18 is in a measure lateral, as said links must follow the operating-rods 13 and 14. In order, therefore, to accommodate the blocks 22 and 23 to this lateral movement of the links 15, 16, 17, and 18, the said links are provided, as before described, with a joint 28, which allows said rods to move laterally without binding the blocks 22 and 23.

It will be seen that this crossing does not depend for its operation upon any automatic mechanism, but is directly operated from an interlocking plant by the means of two levers, one lever controlling and operating the locking mechanism and the other lever operating the movable blocks for the crossing.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention, I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction as herein set forth, as various slight changes may be made therein which would fall within the limit and scope of my invention, and 1 consider myself clearly entitled to all such changes and modifications.

What 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block, a groove in the bottom thereof, a tongue adapted to be accommodated by said groove, an op: erating-rod connected to said block, a lockingrod connected to said block, a slidable rod adapted to be moved by said locking-rod and a locking-pin adapted to enter said slidable rod, said block, locking-rod and slidable rod being operated by said operating-rod, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block, an operating-rod connected to said block, a locking-rod connected to said block, a slidable rod connected to said locking-rod, a housing into which said slidable rod enters, a locking-pin adapted to enter said housing and said slidable rod, said block, lockingrod and slidable rod being operated by said operating-rod, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the track thereof, of a sliding block, a pin in said block, said block being provided with a horizontally-extending opening therein, an operatingrod adapted to enter said opening and to be connected to said pin and means for locking said block against movement, substantially as described.

48- In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block an operating-rod connected to said sliding block, connecting means from said operating-rod to an interlocking plant, a locking-rod connected to said sliding block, means for locking said rod and sliding block against movement, means for operating said locking means from an interlocking plant, said operating means being independent of the said means for operating the sliding block, substantially as described.

5. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block, an

auxiliary track associated with said tracks,

said auxiliary track being adapted to receive the false flange on the wheels of rolling-stock to protect the sliding block from injury thereby, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block, the base of said block being raised above the base of said tracks, a guard-rail associated with said tracks, the base of said guard-rail being below the base of said sliding block, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a sliding block, a guard-rail associated with said tracks and sliding block, and a pocket formed between said guard-rail and said sliding block to receive foreign substances falling between said guardrail and said sliding block, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof. of a sliding block, a

guard-rail associated with said tracks, a plate upon which said sliding block operates, a fillerblock arranged between said tracks and said guard-rail, means for securing said fiiler-block to the plate for said sliding block, and means for securing said tracks and said guard-rails to said filler-block, substantially as described.

9. In a railway-crossing, the combination with the tracks thereof, of a movable block associated therewith, means passing from an interlocking plant for operating said movable block, means for locking said block against movement and means passing from an interlocking plant for operating said locking means, said locking operating means being operated independently of said bloelooperating means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH S. JENCKES, JR.

Witnesses:

E. C. PROBST, H. L. MGGURK. 

